Word X Macintosh

USING MAIL MERGE IN WORD X ON A MAC

Introduction

This document outlines many of the new features of mail merge in Microsoft Word X and how it differs from Word 98 and Word 2001. The document is designed for people who are familiar with Word 98 or Word 2001 and who are starting to use or wish to use Word X. Specific differences between Word 2001 and Word X are detailed below.

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Getting Started

In the dock, click once on the Microsoft Word X icon.

If you cannot find Microsoft Word X in your dock, select Go > Applications from the Finder menu, and in the window that opens, double-click the Microsoft Office X folder. Click once on the Microsoft Word icon. Select File > Make Alias. A new Microsoft Word Alias icon will appear. Drag the Microsoft Word Alias icon from the folder to the Dock. You will now be able to find Microsoft Word in your Dock. Click the Word icon in the Dock to launch Microsoft Word.

The blue and gray Word X splash screen will appear briefly as it loads fonts and preferences.

Creating the main document -- Letters, Labels	Preview letters and labels
Selecting recipients	Complete the merge
Formatting Letter and Label	Save the merged letters/labels

Creating the main document

If you already have a document which you want to use for your mail merge, open it before you begin any of these steps. You can make these changes directly to your document. If you do not already have a document, proceed with a new document.

1. On the menu bar, click on the Tools menu.
2. From the pull down menu, select Data Merge Manager. The Data Merge Manager window will open. It will remain open throughout the mail merge process unless you close it. At any point, you can reopen the Data Merge Manager by going to Tools > Data Merge Manager.



3. If the triangle arrow to the left of the heading Main Document points to the right, click once on it to reveal more options. The triangle should now point down.

• Click the Create button under the Main Document heading and select one of the following:
  
  • Form Letters
  • Labels
  • Envelopes
  • Catalog

The most common types of documents are letters and labels.

Letters:

To create a letter, click Create and select Form Letter. Move on to Selecting Recipients.

Labels:

1. To create labels, click Create and select Labels. A Label Options window will appear.
   



2. You may choose a specific type of label by selecting items in the Label products and Product number fields.
3. You can adjust the height and width of the label by clicking on Details... Click OK when you are finished adjusting.
4. Click OK.
5. Move on to Selecting Recipients.

Selecting recipients

To select your recipients, click the Get Data button in the Data Merge Manager to reveal a drop-down menu with several options.

Open Data Source will allow you to use files and addresses from an existing file or database.

1. To find an existing file, choose Open Data Source and then navigate your way through the computer to where the file is located.
2. If your data source is an Excel workbook that has data on multiple worksheets, the Open Worksheet window will appear. You need to select the worksheet containing the data you want and, if desired, the range of cells within the worksheet you wish to use. Click OK.
3. If you are working with labels, you will now be prompted to configure your labels in the Edit Labels window.

   

• To insert merge fields, position the cursor where you want to insert the field and click on the Insert Merge Fields button and select the desired merge field from the menu. This will insert the merge field, denoted as <<Merge Field>>.
• When you have configured the label, click OK. All your labels will be filled out with the label data.
4. To work with a different data file, click Get Data and select or create a different list.
5. To edit the list click on the Edit Data Source icon .
   

New Data Source will allow you to create a new contact list.

1. In the Create Data Source window, click OK.
2. A new window will open, asking you to save the data source. Enter a name for your data file and click Save.
3. The Data Form window will appear.



4. Enter the information of the first recipient in the fields, then click Add New to add another recipient. When all recipients have been added, click OK.
5. If you are working with labels, you will now be prompted to configure your labels in the Edit Labels window (as pictured above in the Open Data Source section).
• To insert merge fields, position the cursor where you want to insert the field and click on the Insert Merge Fields button and select the desired merge field from the menu. This will insert the merge field, denoted as <<Merge Field>>.
• When you have configured the label, click OK. All your labels will be filled out with the label data.
6. To edit the list click on the Edit Data Source icon.
7. To work with a different data file, click Get Data and select or create a different list.
   
   

Formatting letter and label

If you are working with a file you have already begun, make sure it is open.

If you are creating a form letter, type the text you want to have in every form letter in the document.

Insert merge fields where you want to merge names, addresses, and other data from the data source (i.e. recipient list) by dragging and dropping from the Data Merge Manager as follows:

1. If the triangle arrow to the left of the heading Merge Field in the Data Merge Manager points to the right, click once on it to reveal more options. The triangle should now point down.



2. Click on the specific field you wish to insert. Hold the mouse button down and drag the mouse until the cursor is over the point where you wish to insert the field, then release. The merge field will be inserted, and denoted by <<Merge Field>>.
3. If you are working with labels, be sure to click the Propagate Label Document button under the Data Source heading when you are done editing. This copies the changes to all labels.

Preview Letters and Labels

1. If the triangle arrow to the left of the heading Preview in the Data Merge Manager points to the right, click once on it to reveal more options. The triangle should now point down.



2. Click the View Merged Data button .
3. To preview the items, click the arrows under the Preview heading.

Complete the merge

Now that you have edited your data source and inserted your merge fields and text, you are ready to complete your mail merge document.

Save the Document

To save your mail merge main document, go to File > Save and save the document normally. Your saved mail merge document will allow you to update it by altering the data source or changing the merge fields included in the document.

Edit Individual letters/labels

1. Under the Merge heading, click the Merge to New Document icon .
2. Microsoft Word will create a new merged document.
3. To personalize individual documents, scroll to the information you want to edit, and make your changes.
4. Print or save the document just as you would any regular document.

Print the letters/labels

1. Under the Merge heading, select Merge to New Document .
2. Check your merged document to be sure it is correct, and print by going to File > Print.

Or:

1. Under the Merge heading, select Merge to Printer.
2. In the Print window, select Preview to be sure your document looks correct.
3. Click Print.

NOTE: If you wish to print a subset of your merged document: (ie, reprinting labels for names from K to M), you will need to work from the original document, not the merged document. Always save a copy of the original document (Your original document is created as an untitled document, with a name such as Document1; you do not need to save the document which is created with a name like Form Letters1 or Labels1).

To Print a Subset of your Merged Document:

1. Under the Merge heading, select Custom from the drop-down menu.
2. In the Range fields, enter the first and last consecutive records you wish to print.
3. Select Merge to New Document .
4. Check to be sure you have the correct records.
5. Go to File > Print.

OR:

1. Under the Merge heading, select Query Options. A Query Options filter allows you to judge all records based on certain criteria, and merge only those documents that meet those criteria. For example, assume you wished to reprint all mailing labels that were being sent to the town of Wellesley.
2. Choose the type of field you wish to compare in the Field column. In our example, you would select the "City" field.
3. Choose the relationship you want from the Comparison column. In our example, you would select the "Equal To" field.
4. Type the text you wish to compare to in the Compare To column. In our example, you would type "Wellesley".
5. Add other comparison filters as needed.
6. Click OK.
7. Select Merge to New Document .
8. Check to be sure you have the correct records.
9. Go to File > Print.

Save the merged letters/labels

Under most circumstances, you do not need to save the merged document. It is simpler and more useful to save the main document and merge it again if you need another copy. Below are examples of times when you might wish to save the merged document:

• You wish to keep an archived copy of mailings, including to whom they were sent.
• You have personalized individual letters or labels within the merge, and want to save those changes.

If you do wish to save the merged document, begin by merging the forms to a single file by clicking the Merge to New Document icon . Microsoft Word will open one new document that contains all the individual letters. Save the document just as you would any regular document.

How to Quit

Go the the Word menu and select Quit Word from the pull down menu.

• Erin Foti
• Information Services
• Date Created: January 22, 2003
• Last Modified: June 15, 2006
• Page Expires: July 1, 2007